Rare
Among 1981 cars still registered
Rarer than 87% of other 1981 vehicles still registered.
How rare is a 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380SL?
1981 Mercedes-Benz 380SL
35
still registered in Oz
Very rare
Rarer than 99% of cars still registered
How rare is yours?Oz rare cars
Rarity here means how many are still registered today — not how many were built.
About 35 Mercedes-Benz 380SL vehicles made in 1981 were still registered in Australia on 31 January 2025. Cars made in 1981 are 15% of every Mercedes-Benz 380SL still registered (about 233 across all years). By count, 1981 ranks 5th of 6 build years for the 380SL. The busiest year is 1983 (about 57 still registered); 1981 has about 61% as many. That is about 400% more than 1980. On 31 January 2021 there were about 20 — up about 75% since. Rarer than 87% of other 1981 vehicles still registered.
At a glance
Still registered on Aussie roads · BITRE as at 31 Jan 2025
61%
Versus the busiest 380SL year
1981 has about 61% as many still registered as 1983 (about 57).
15%
Share of this 380SL fleet
About 35 of about 233 380SL vehicles still registered, all years together.
29%
Registered in VIC
About 10 of about 35 are registered in VIC. State figures come from a separate BITRE table, so they can differ slightly from the national count.
Still registered, year by year: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380SL
How many of this exact car were still registered on 31 January each year (2021–2025). Not new sales in those calendar years.
Tap a point for its count.
BITRE snapshots. Later releases can revise earlier years. Pre-2021 figures are not on this chart.
View counts as a table
| Date | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 31 Jan 2021 | About 20 |
| 31 Jan 2022 | About 22 |
| 31 Jan 2023 | About 18 |
| 31 Jan 2024 | About 16 |
| 31 Jan 2025 | About 35 |
1981 Mercedes-Benz 380SL vs peak and average years
Below the average manufacture year for this model — tap bars for counts.
1981 380SL
Peak year (1983)
Average manufacture year
Still registered counts for this model · BITRE as at 31 Jan 2025
380SL manufacture years by registered count
Manufacture years for the 380SL, with your year highlighted. Tap a bar for its count.
You
View counts as a table
| Year made | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1980 | About 7 |
| 1981 | About 35 |
| 1982 | About 53 |
| 1983 | About 57 |
| 1984 | About 41 |
| 1985 | About 40 |
1981 Mercedes-Benz 380SL registrations by state
Where these still-registered vehicles are recorded by state/territory
NSW
VIC
QLD
WA
SA
TAS
ACT
NT
Tap a bar for its count.
View counts as a table
| State | Still registered |
|---|---|
| NSW | About 8 |
| VIC | About 10 |
| QLD | About 6 |
| WA | About 7 |
| SA | About 3 |
| TAS | Not published |
| ACT | Not published |
| NT | Not published |
Power / fuel
Fuel mix isn’t published for this car.
What a fill might cost· tap to enter your postcode
A typical sedan tank is about 60 L — edit if you know yours.
Estimate only. Nearby pump prices from public fuel-price feeds. Not a valuation.
How likely are you to spot one?
About 400,000 cars
Watch this many cars go by and it’s a 50-50 chance one is a 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380SL.
Spot a 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380SLUnder 1%
Spot any Mercedes-Benz 380SL, any yearUnder 1%
A rough guide, based on official registration numbers.
Questions about the 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380SL
- How does 1981 rank among 380SL build years?
- 5th of 6 build years by count. About 35 still registered in Australia.
- How many 380SL vehicles still registered were made in 1981?
- 15% — about 35 of about 233 across all years.
- How rare is it among all 1981 cars still registered?
- Rarer than 87% of other 1981 vehicles still registered.
- Which manufacture year has the most 380SL still registered?
- 1983. The model page has every build year side by side.
- Which states have the most registered?
- VIC (About 10); NSW (About 8). State figures come from a separate BITRE table, so they can differ slightly from the national count.
Based on BITRE Road Vehicles Australia, January 2021–2025 (CC BY 3.0 AU; the January 2024 release is CC BY 2.5 AU). Colour: Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, Whole Fleet Vehicle Registration Snapshot by Model, Q4 2024 (CC BY 4.0). Oz rare cars is not affiliated with or endorsed by BITRE, the Australian Government or the Victorian Government. Registration counts are not sales, not a valuation, and not advice. Method